Device for transmitting power.



No. 64!,379. Patented lan. 16, I900 E. R. ESMOND.

DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING POWER.

{Application filed Dec. 3, 1894.) (No Model.) 4 2 Sheets$heet l.

N: ncnms PETERS co. woraurua, WASHlNdTON, u c

No. 64|,379. Patented Jan. l6, I900.

E. n. asmouu.

DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING POWER.

(Application filed Dec. 3, 1894.) (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheef 2.

ERNEST R. ESMOND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND EDWARD N.DICKERSON, OF SAME PLACE' DEVICE FOR TRANSMITTING POWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,379, dated January1 1 Application filed December 3, 1894. Serial No. 530,652. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST R. ESMOND, of New York, in the county andState 'of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Devices for Transmitting Power, of which'the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to devices for transmitting power from a driver toa driven shaft, drum, or pulley, and is especially directed toward theconstruction of a coupling placed intermediate of the driver and thedriven shaft, drum, or pulley and adapted to transmit motion from theformer to the latter.

The invention further provides a flexible coupling-that is, one by whichmotion is transmitted from one to the other without jar or shock,notwithstanding the fluctuations in load, within wide limits sustainedby the driven shaft, drum, or pulley.

I will describe a device for transmitting power embodying my improvementand then point out the novel features in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a devicefor transmitting power embodying myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same,part, however, being removed to better show certain other parts. Fig. 4is a longitudinal vertical section of my improvement as applied to ahoisting apparatus, part of the same,however, being shown in elevation.Fig. 5 is an end elevation of Fig. 4.,certain parts being omitted. Fig.6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but shows certain parts in a positionwhich they assume when in motion and transmitting power.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in allfigures.

A designates What may constitute a driving-shaft, receiving power andbeing itself driven by anysuitable means. It may be supported in ahearing A.

B is a driven shaft journaled in a bearing B in line with thedriving-shaft A. It may be provided with a pulley B which latter may beutilized to transmit power for any purpose by an encircling belt.

I have in the present instance designated and so described the shaft Aand the shaft B as a driving and a driven shaft, respectively but theduties they perform are mutu'-' ally transferable, as B may constitute adriving-shaft or driver and A a driven shaft. In this latter casepulleyB may be utilized for rotating shaft B.

Firmly secured to shaft A, at or near its extremity adjacent to shaft B,isa pinion a. The pulley B is provided with an internal gear I), whichmay be formed upon a flange projecting inwardly from the inner surfaceof the pulley, or it may be formed upon an independent ring oranumber ofsegments and attached to the pulley.

O C are intermediate pinions journaled in a vibrating carrier 0, whichis pivoted to shaft A.

In this illustration of my invention there are two pinions O 0, one ateach end of the car- .rier; but this is only to secure a better balanoeof the latter. The pinions O 0 each gear on the one hand with the piniona and on the other hand with the internal gear I).

The carrier can be a simple pendulous arm, which can be controlledeither bya spring or by a weight. The controlling device shown in thedrawings comprises a rod 0, curved in the arc of a circle struck fromthe axis of movement of the carrier as a center and secured at its endsto opposite ends of the carrier c, with which it will consequently move.The rod extends through an intermediate stationary bearing 0 which inthe present instance extends from the bearing A. Encircling the rod 0are two helical springs D D, one on each side of the stationary bearing0 and confined between the bearing and the ends of the carrier 0. Thesesprings bear in opposite directions on the carrier and hold it in itsnormal position.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 I have shown my improvement as applied to ahoisting apparatus. E is the drivin -shaft, carrying a driving-pulley E,and mounted in bearings E E attached to a base-plate E The shaft E isprovided with a pinion e, and the drum F carries an internal gear f.Intermediate pinions G G are mounted at opposite ends of a vibratingcarrier g, pivoted concentrically with the'shaft E either to the shaftor a projection of the bearing E The intermediate pinions G G each gearon the one hand with pinion e and on the other hand with the internalgear f. The carrier 9 may be a simple pendulous arm controlled either bya weight or a spring, as in the preceding example of my improvement. Inthe illustration shown this controlling device is similar to the onealready described and comprises a curved arm g, attached at its ends toopposite ends of the carrier 9 and passingthrough an intermediatestationary bearing 9 supported upon the base-plate E Helical springs HII encircle the rod 9, interposed between the respective ends of thecarrier 9 and the stationary bearing 9 which constitutes the abutmentfor the springs. The shaft E may be extended through the bearin g E andprovided at its protruding end with a suitable brake-wheel -I, therebypermitting the braking power to be applied directly to thehoisting-drum. It will be seen that this construction provides acoupling which permits of the attainment of any desired difierencewithin practical limits between the speed of the driver and the thingdriven, and at the same time its utility as a flexible or yieldingcoupling is not impaired.

In using the terms driving and driven shaft-s throughout thespecification and claims I do not wish to limit myself to what areordinarily knownas shafts, but wish to include all constructions towhich power may be applied or from which it may be obtained. Forinstance, such constructions may consist of pulleys or drums or drivingor driven wheels.

By means of this construction, as will now be readily understood, thedriving power is neither rigidly nor directly applied to the drivenwork. Great advantages result from this in many instances which areadditional to the reduction in speed, which is the primary object of myinvention. In many instances it is exceedingly desirable to avoid theshock between the power and the work when the work is suddenly to bedone. Also, there are a number of cases in which the initial eifort ofdoing the work is greater than the effort required after the work iscommencedas, forinstan ce, in starting the moving vehicle or in thestarting of certain machinery. My apparatus, therefore, in its completeform accomplishes three results: It reduces the speed between thedriving and the driven shafts. It takes the shock of the work, suddenlyapplied, from the driven shaft and also reciprocally from the work, andit allows an interval of time to elapse between the application of thepower and its effect upon the work, which to that extent stores thepower and increases the first effect of the power upon the work, and mydevice accomplishes these results by a very simple and inexpensivemechanism which is applicable to many uses.

Having described my invention, what I consider as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with two shafts having stationary bearings and inline with each other, of means connecting said shafts,whereby powermaybe transmitted from one to the other thereof without shock in thetransmission; said means comprising a gear on each of said shafts, agear intermediate the gears on said shafts, a support on which ismounted the axle of said intermediate gear, means in connection withsaid support for permitting a limited movement of said axle around oneof said shafts, and a spring having one end thereof held stationary andthe other end connected to said support, whereby the support will bereturned when released, to a normal position, substantially asspecified.

2. A coupling for transmitting powerfrom one to the other of two shaftsmounted in line and in stationary bearings, said coupling comprising'apinion on the driven shaft, an arm mounted loosely on the driven shaft,a gear mounted on said arm and in engagement with said pinion, aninternal gear on the drivingshaft and in engagement with the gear onsaid arm, and a spring having one end thereof held stationary and theother end connected to said arm, whereby said spring may act upon saidarm to retnrnthe latter to an absolute normal position, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

3. A shaft-coupling consisting of a shaft having an internal gearthereon, a shaft having a pinion thereon and concentric with saidinternal gear, a support free to revolve about said shafts and havingattached thereto a rod, said rod having the form of an arc concentricwith said shafts, an intermediate gearon said support and in mesh withsaid pinion and internal gear, a spring surrounding the bar upon saidsupport, and a stationary piece for holding said spring at one pointthereof, whereby, when said intermediate gear is released it will bereturned to the normal position, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

4:- In a shaft-coupli n g the combination with two shafts, of a gear oneach shaft, a gear intermediate of the first-mentioned gears, a supporton which is mounted the axle of said intermediate gear, said supportconstructed to permit a movement of said axle in an are concentric withone of said shafts, a compressible spring, an arc-form guide for saidspring arranged concentrically with said shaft, said spring having oneend thereof held stationary and the other end connected to said support,whereby said spring may act to return said support to a normal position,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof 'I have signedmy name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST R. ESMOND.

Witnesses:

W. LAIRD GOLDSBOROUGH, PIERSON L. WELLS.

